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Jonie Waters Mystery #1
Storm Surge
Defeating odds and ignoring well-meant advice is her specialty, so when reporter Jonie Waters follows a news tip and discovers her girlhood friend’s body, nothing can dissuade her from setting out to find the murderer. Though Jonie attracts the suspicions of local police as she finds herself in the middle of other related crimes, she continues her investigation, risking her job, tentative family ties, and the chance of romance with the alluring lead investigator. Storm Surge follows Jonie through cat fights, vandalized laboratories, and klutzy mishaps in Wilmington, North Carolina.
299 pages, Paperback
First published March 21, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
February 27, 2012
I loved this book. On my mystery meter, it’s got the right amounts of suspense, violence, and romantic tension, and never over-the-top. There are enough plausible possibilities as to whodunit, each of the characters with a credible reason to kill. When the killer is finally revealed, it’s perfectly logical, but was never so obvious as to make the culmination disappointing followed by a yawn. I’ll definitely be reading the next Jonie Waters mystery. Great read!
February 15, 2012
A great read, hard to believe it's a first novel! Set in Wilmington, NC, for all you NC readers!
April 27, 2013
When this book was offered free for a limited time at Amazon.com through Ebook Impresario, I snapped it up for a couple of reasons. First, it takes place in what is perhaps my second favorite state, North Carolina (my heart goes to my own state of Ohio). Second, the heroine, Jonie Waters, is a newspaper reporter - and journalism is a career that's been near and dear to my heart for the past 18 years or so and counting.
These reasons outweighed a bit of skepticism from finding just 44 reviews at Amazon - but then this is the author's debut novel in what's expected to be a series. And, the majority of those reviewers gave it 5 or 4 stars, so I figured it wouldn't be truly awful. And in large part, it wasn't; if it were possible to give it 3-1/2 stars, I would have.
Admittedly, things got off to a bit of a rocky start, as I ran time and time again into analogies that almost made me cringe: ..."measuring me like a jeweler examining a gem of dubious quality"...a job that "was as stable as a stack of ice cubes in my father's glass of sweet tea"...and the woman was "so proper that her business suits looked like they were ironed while on her body."
Then there was my personal favorite (choke!), ...her stepmother and step-sister "were as inseparable as cat fur in a hairball." Yikes!
Mercifully, though, the analogies soon began to dry up like sun-dried flowers on a cactus - and from that point on, it wasn't at all bad. Jonie has returned home to the city of Wilmington, it seems, after having some "issues" with her previous job - despite having even more "issues" with her family that resulted in her leaving in the first place. Not long after she's home again and getting a pre-employment tryout with the Wilmington newspaper, she gets a phone tip and discovers her former best friend has been murdered.
Hiding her close relationship to the victim from her boss, Jonie sets out to find the culprit. That puts her at direct odds with the local cops, one of whom is Jonie's step-sister Kimmie - with whom she's been at odds most of her life. Actually, it's no wonder; it's been a long time since I've seen a character like Kimmie, who comes across as having no redeeming social value whatsoever (although some of the things Jonie did to her way back when, even if in self-defense, don't make her sound much better). Things get even more complicated when Jonie and Kimmie's partner Daniel hit it off on a personal level.
Mixed in between are a friendly but conflicted step-brother, a college professor with dubious morals and an issue of what's killing fish in local waters - the topic of a research project the victim was conducting at the time she was killed. And from then on, the plot moves along fairly quickly. Who did the dirty deed isn't revealed until the end (although I freely admit I was pulling for that nasty Kimmie who, with any luck, would get the death penalty and never be heard from again).
Of course, I won't say whether I got my wish or not, but I will say that if you're looking for a fairly light, easy-to-read whodunit, give this one a try. The author's next book in the series, Silver Flashing, was published last year, and I hope to read it as well.
These reasons outweighed a bit of skepticism from finding just 44 reviews at Amazon - but then this is the author's debut novel in what's expected to be a series. And, the majority of those reviewers gave it 5 or 4 stars, so I figured it wouldn't be truly awful. And in large part, it wasn't; if it were possible to give it 3-1/2 stars, I would have.
Admittedly, things got off to a bit of a rocky start, as I ran time and time again into analogies that almost made me cringe: ..."measuring me like a jeweler examining a gem of dubious quality"...a job that "was as stable as a stack of ice cubes in my father's glass of sweet tea"...and the woman was "so proper that her business suits looked like they were ironed while on her body."
Then there was my personal favorite (choke!), ...her stepmother and step-sister "were as inseparable as cat fur in a hairball." Yikes!
Mercifully, though, the analogies soon began to dry up like sun-dried flowers on a cactus - and from that point on, it wasn't at all bad. Jonie has returned home to the city of Wilmington, it seems, after having some "issues" with her previous job - despite having even more "issues" with her family that resulted in her leaving in the first place. Not long after she's home again and getting a pre-employment tryout with the Wilmington newspaper, she gets a phone tip and discovers her former best friend has been murdered.
Hiding her close relationship to the victim from her boss, Jonie sets out to find the culprit. That puts her at direct odds with the local cops, one of whom is Jonie's step-sister Kimmie - with whom she's been at odds most of her life. Actually, it's no wonder; it's been a long time since I've seen a character like Kimmie, who comes across as having no redeeming social value whatsoever (although some of the things Jonie did to her way back when, even if in self-defense, don't make her sound much better). Things get even more complicated when Jonie and Kimmie's partner Daniel hit it off on a personal level.
Mixed in between are a friendly but conflicted step-brother, a college professor with dubious morals and an issue of what's killing fish in local waters - the topic of a research project the victim was conducting at the time she was killed. And from then on, the plot moves along fairly quickly. Who did the dirty deed isn't revealed until the end (although I freely admit I was pulling for that nasty Kimmie who, with any luck, would get the death penalty and never be heard from again).
Of course, I won't say whether I got my wish or not, but I will say that if you're looking for a fairly light, easy-to-read whodunit, give this one a try. The author's next book in the series, Silver Flashing, was published last year, and I hope to read it as well.
August 14, 2011
This book is written by Holly Springs, NC author, Tamara Ward. In her debut novel, she spins a story of mystery against a beautiful Wilmington, NC back drop. Readers will fall in love with Joney Waters, as she is klutzy, sometimes awkward, but very endearing.
A cozy, fast paced read. If you like Stephanie Plum, you'll Love Jonie Waters!
Looking forward to book two in the series.
A cozy, fast paced read. If you like Stephanie Plum, you'll Love Jonie Waters!
Looking forward to book two in the series.
March 12, 2012
One of the best freebies I have downloaded so far! Loved so many of the characters and I thought the mystery was well done. An intelligent author who didn't rush anything--characters were nicely developed--the setting was great and there is a sequel for those of us that want to know more!
September 14, 2011
I had the chance to meet Tamara at the Apex Writer's Guild meeting a few months ago. She had recently released Storm Surge--A Jonie Waters Mystery through Peak City Publishing. A few days later I went to All Booked Up, in Apex, NC to buy said book. They actually had to sell me the display copy because they had sold out of the rest--and I can see why.
The story centers around Jonie Waters, a reporter who is returning to her hometown of Wilmington, NC in seek of new employment. She had left the area some time ago due to issues with her family--most noticeably her estranged mother-in-law and step-sister, Kimmie. There is quite the history between Jonie and Kimmie, which makes for a very interesting addition to the book. Without giving away too much of the book, Jonie finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation of an old friend and Kimmie is a detective working on the case. But Kimmie doesn't work alone. Her partner, Daniel, is someone that Jonie finds fascinating, despite the fact he's Kimmie's partner and he often is at odds with Jonie's investigation methods.
While the book is a murder mystery, the heart and soul of the book are the characters. They add a dimension to the book I've not found in many other books of this genre. What makes it more interesting to me is that this is the first book of a series. While the story of the mystery is engaging, it is really Jonie that drives the book. I can't wait to see what happens to her next.
Tamara does an excellent job with the mystery part of the book. I honestly had no idea who the killer was until it was revealed at the end. The writing flows well and the book has excellent pacing.
As far as who would like this book? I'd give it a PG-13 rating for some violence and some slightly suggestive themes--and even then, it's still something I'd let my teenagers read.
To sum up how good book is, my wife stayed up until 3:00 am one night to finish it because she "had to see how it ended."
The story centers around Jonie Waters, a reporter who is returning to her hometown of Wilmington, NC in seek of new employment. She had left the area some time ago due to issues with her family--most noticeably her estranged mother-in-law and step-sister, Kimmie. There is quite the history between Jonie and Kimmie, which makes for a very interesting addition to the book. Without giving away too much of the book, Jonie finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation of an old friend and Kimmie is a detective working on the case. But Kimmie doesn't work alone. Her partner, Daniel, is someone that Jonie finds fascinating, despite the fact he's Kimmie's partner and he often is at odds with Jonie's investigation methods.
While the book is a murder mystery, the heart and soul of the book are the characters. They add a dimension to the book I've not found in many other books of this genre. What makes it more interesting to me is that this is the first book of a series. While the story of the mystery is engaging, it is really Jonie that drives the book. I can't wait to see what happens to her next.
Tamara does an excellent job with the mystery part of the book. I honestly had no idea who the killer was until it was revealed at the end. The writing flows well and the book has excellent pacing.
As far as who would like this book? I'd give it a PG-13 rating for some violence and some slightly suggestive themes--and even then, it's still something I'd let my teenagers read.
To sum up how good book is, my wife stayed up until 3:00 am one night to finish it because she "had to see how it ended."
May 2, 2012
You want a summer beach read? I got your summer beach read, right here! "Storm Surge" by Tamara Ward is an intriguing debut novel with a well-developed plot that touches on many issues: violence against women, stalking, industrial pollution, professional ethics in research, sibling rivalries in dysfunctional families, and, of course, murder. One nice thing about this book, she keeps you guessing who the real culprit is far into the book.
Some of the twists are sharp and well-formed; some go down a little hard, but overall, my head kept turning, looking in different directions for the final clue right along with heroine Jonie Waters. Most major characters are well-drawn and some of their background, incomplete, but I'm sure that's because this is the beginning of a series that has a lot of promise, and we will find out more as time goes by. I intended to come back for a second swim in these waters. Tamara's background as a reporter shines through the trials and tribulations encountered by Jonie as she returns to her hometown of Wilmington after a decade-long, self-imposed exile. Finding a dead body on her first day back doesn't help reuniting with her estranged family.
I want to give this book a "5," but I just can't pull the trigger. It's that close to a must read for mystery readers. Although this is a romantic mystery, some of Jonie's flip-flopping, sometimes moment-by-moment, between the possible romantic entanglements bugged me. A few of the important secondary characters were a bit flat. And though it didn't affect my rating of the story, her publisher needs to take much better care of the formatting of Tamara's next book. As an indie author myself, I understand the arduous task of formatting and publishing a book. A professional publisher needs to treat the products of their rising star better. This is "4" with the surf rising.
Some of the twists are sharp and well-formed; some go down a little hard, but overall, my head kept turning, looking in different directions for the final clue right along with heroine Jonie Waters. Most major characters are well-drawn and some of their background, incomplete, but I'm sure that's because this is the beginning of a series that has a lot of promise, and we will find out more as time goes by. I intended to come back for a second swim in these waters. Tamara's background as a reporter shines through the trials and tribulations encountered by Jonie as she returns to her hometown of Wilmington after a decade-long, self-imposed exile. Finding a dead body on her first day back doesn't help reuniting with her estranged family.
I want to give this book a "5," but I just can't pull the trigger. It's that close to a must read for mystery readers. Although this is a romantic mystery, some of Jonie's flip-flopping, sometimes moment-by-moment, between the possible romantic entanglements bugged me. A few of the important secondary characters were a bit flat. And though it didn't affect my rating of the story, her publisher needs to take much better care of the formatting of Tamara's next book. As an indie author myself, I understand the arduous task of formatting and publishing a book. A professional publisher needs to treat the products of their rising star better. This is "4" with the surf rising.
March 19, 2012
Jonie Waters comes back to the town she grew up in. She is a reporter for the Tribune, and her first day on the job she gets a news tip that leads to the discovery of a dead body. Flustered as she realizes it's the body of one of her friends, she drops her cell phone into the water. Someone else has to call in the murder, and Jonie becomes a "person of interest" in the case when she is found at the scene of the crime... her cell phone in the water with the dead body.
Jonie's estranged family didn't even know she's moving back. So it looks even more suspicious that she would have received a news tip leading her to the body.
She is immediately attracted to the lead detective on the case, Daniel Wyeth -- but not only does her curiosity keep landing her in suspicious circumstances, but her step-sister Kimmie is Daniel's partner. Kimmie is the reason Jonie left town all those years ago... Kimmie is also attracted to Daniel and will do anything to keep Daniel and Jonie from getting to know each other in a positive light.
As far as the murderer, the author does a great job of keeping you guessing who it is -- all the way up to the end of the book!
I will definitely read the second book in this series when it comes out this summer...
Jonie's estranged family didn't even know she's moving back. So it looks even more suspicious that she would have received a news tip leading her to the body.
She is immediately attracted to the lead detective on the case, Daniel Wyeth -- but not only does her curiosity keep landing her in suspicious circumstances, but her step-sister Kimmie is Daniel's partner. Kimmie is the reason Jonie left town all those years ago... Kimmie is also attracted to Daniel and will do anything to keep Daniel and Jonie from getting to know each other in a positive light.
As far as the murderer, the author does a great job of keeping you guessing who it is -- all the way up to the end of the book!
I will definitely read the second book in this series when it comes out this summer...
February 23, 2013
I chose this book because it was set in Wilmington North Carolina. I have never been there, but have always wanted to go. I like reading books about places that I have been or places that I plan on going to. Jonie was fired from her job on the newspaper and 'fled' back home. I don't think that she wanted to 'go home' but thought that it would be a 'safe place' for her to be for a while. As luck would have it, on her first day there, she found a dead body, and it was a longtime friend of hers, Abby. My only problem with Jonie was that she acted like a 14 year old every time she saw a handsome man. I guess some women never grow up in that respect. Jonie got herself right in the middle of the murder investigation, and got herself in deep trouble. Everytime there was a problem or another dead body, she was right there. That did not bode well with the police. Goodness, she was even a 'person of interest' in two murders. I tried to find out the 'who done it' while reading this book, to no avail. At one time I thought that I figured it out, but alas, I was wrong. It had a surprise ending that almost knocked me off my chair. No hints, you need to read it for yourself. It was a very enjoyable read.
February 24, 2015
A cozy fast paced read. Jonie Waters is a reporter for the Tribune. On her first day on the job she gets a tip that leads her to discover a dead body. She gets upset when she discovers the body is one of her friends and she drops her phone in the water. Someone else has to call in the crime to the police. Jonie becomes a person of interest because she was found at the scene and her cell phone is in the water. Jonie is estranged from her family so they didn't know she was moving back to town. So that makes it look even more suspious that she got a tip about the body. To make matters worse Jonie and her step sister Kimmie both are attracted to Daniel Wyeth the lead detective on the case Kimmie is his partner and she is also the reason Jonie left town years ago. The author does a great job keeping you in suspense about who the murderer is all the way to the end. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
January 24, 2013
Reporter Jonie returned to her hometown Wilmington, NC to a job at the Tribune after having left home for more than a decade being estranged from her family. On her first day at work, she received a mystery call at the office leading her to the scene of a crime - the crime being the murder of her childhood friend and neighbor. The detectives on the case were her stepsister as well as nemesis and Daniel whom she was attracted to. Headstrong Jonie was committed to finding out the truth but a a lone wolf, she preferred to work on her own, making her not that likeable. The book was well written with a good pace and I enjoyed the mystery and finding out the killer.
September 3, 2012
This book was extremely good. It was one of those books where you feel like you are right there in the story with the rest of the characters. It was about a reporter named Joni trying to solve a murder of a friend she grew up with. Unfortunately she was continuously found in compromising situations in suspicious places causing her to be a person of interest in the murder. I am looking forward to reading Joni's next book in the series.
July 19, 2011
Enjoyed this mystery! And its been awhile since I can say that. It kept the pace throughout the chapters and ultimately to the end.
Technically, I guess its cozy mystery - but read more like an Agatha Christie mystery for me. Suspense, developed characters that you can relate to, and a nice little non-twist, twist at the end.
Can't wait for the next book.
Technically, I guess its cozy mystery - but read more like an Agatha Christie mystery for me. Suspense, developed characters that you can relate to, and a nice little non-twist, twist at the end.
Can't wait for the next book.
January 21, 2012
Loved it! Murder mystery is not my typical choice of genre, but this book will grab your attention from the start and you keep you guessing till the end. Great, fun read - you can't help loving the main character's flawed and relatable personality. Looking forward to the next in the series.
March 17, 2012
This book was well written. The only reason I didn't give it a better rating is I don't enjoy mysteries where the protagonist is a suspect. The relationship with the step-sister seemed a bit far-fetched which bothered me a bit as well. The mystery was plausible though.
April 3, 2012
Although the storyline moved right along and I actually didn't get who the killer was until exposed I was annoyed with the characters. They either were NO personality or just darn mean spirited or whiny and full of self pity. I don't think the main character ever had a happy moment.
April 11, 2012
Free on my Kindle. I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me a little bit of the Steph. Plum books by Janet Evanovich. This is actually the first in a series. I searched for the second, but it won't be out until June.
March 2, 2013
Ticked all the right boxes. Kept me entertained and involved, Jonie is a great heroine. Interesting and complicated but not squeaky clean which made her real to me. Nothing too special about the story line (maybe I've read to many mysteries!), but a good solid story and well worth the read.
June 25, 2013
Some of the writing seemed a little clunky and threw me off at first and I had to remind myself to accept the main character's unlikeability as a characteristic. Once I did, I enjoyed the book a lot more. I did guess the murderer before the end.
September 7, 2013
A great start to a cozy mystery series, with just the right pace, a fabulous North Carolina setting and a flawed and interesting main character in Jonie. Plenty of attention grabbing secondary characters too--I'm really looking forward to reading more and watching the relationships play out .
October 6, 2013
Tamara Ward's first mystery is outstanding. A protagonist flawed enough for most women to relate to. Exciting with lots of twists, but none of the tawdry stuff that would make it 'adults only.' Both my 14-year-old daughter and I enjoyed the book.
April 16, 2014
Strong characters, well developed. The main character, Jonie, is thoroughly relatable, not too fabulous or flawed. The books pacing is spot on. All of the subtexts keep the story moving evenly, giving growing traction to the central whodunit theme. Great suspense. I highly recommend this read.
Want to Read
March 8, 2012$0.0
March 19, 2012
Good read.
March 11, 2012
I really liked this book. A very good mystery that kept me guessing. I just wish things would have ended differently. The romantic in me wants a little romance in every book.
April 19, 2012
A really good find for my first e-book on my iPad!
August 13, 2016
Good Mystery! I enjoyed trying to figure it out.
May 7, 2012
This is Book#1 in the Jonie Waters series and I found it to be a really good whodunnit! Well-woven, with interesting characters. I will definitely read more of the series.
Read
May 25, 2012It was good, I'll probably read the next book in series once it's out.
April 14, 2013
What a great book. After reading mostly young adult fluff novels, this was a great change. Tamara's use of detail was great. The scenes just jumped off the page at me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews